2019-2020 CAA Women's Volleyball

Everything You Need To Know About The NCAA Postseason

Everything You Need To Know About The NCAA Postseason

The postseason is officially upon us.

Nov 21, 2019 by Megan Kaplon
Everything You Need To Know About The NCAA Postseason

The postseason is officially upon us. Thursday, four conferences begin their tournaments, with eight more kicking off Friday, and one league, the Southern Conference, started its tourney with a play-in match on Tuesday night. NCAA Tournament berths are on the line come the championship matches on Saturday and Sunday.

So instead of our typical summary of the top NCAA women’s volleyball storylines from the past week, in today’s NCAA Weekly we’re going to break down each conference tournament, giving you all the info you need to follow closely as the national postseason picture comes into focus.

But first a few highlights of the weekend’s conference title chases.

Some weeks ago, we shined a spotlight on the teams around the country that had maintained undefeated league records halfway through the season. A select few of those made it all the way to their respective conference tournaments without losing, and they are as follows: VCU (14-0 A10), Towson (16-0 CAA), Western Kentucky (14-0 C-USA), Stephen F. Austin (16-0 Southland), and South Dakota (16-0 Summit League).

Other notable squads to watch are the two nationally ranked teams—No. 21 Rice and No. 19 Western Kentucky—battling it out for ultimate supremacy in the Conference-USA. Western Kentucky won in the two teams’ only meeting in 2019, a match that went to five sets, of course, just a couple of weeks ago on Nov. 10.

Here are a few more notes: Wright State is the top seed and host of the Horizon League tournament after winning the regular season title for the first time in program history. South Dakota also won the regular season title in its conference, the Summit League, doing so without losing a conference match. The Coyotes will not host the Summit League postseason, however.


ATLANTIC 10

Location: Kingstown, Rhode Island (University of Rhode Island)

Six-team tournament: First-round byes for No. 1 seed VCU and No. 2 Dayton

Friday | Quarters

No. 4 George Washington (15-13, 8-6) vs. No. 5 La Salle (14-12, 8-6), 3:30 PM ET

No. 3 Saint Louis (16-11, 10-4) vs. No. 6 Davidson (10-17, 5-9), 6 PM ET

Saturday | Semis

No. 1 VCU (23-5, 14-0) vs. Winner No. 4/No. 5, 4:30 PM ET

No. 2 Dayton (20-8, 13-1) vs. Winner No. 3/No. 6, 7 PM ET

Sunday | Championship (2 PM ET)


ATLANTIC SUN

Location: Fort Myers, Florida (FGCU)

Six-team tournament: First-round byes for No. 1 seed Florida Gulf Coast and No. 2 Kennesaw State

Thursday | Quarters

No. 4 Lipscomb (15-12, 11-5) vs. No. 5 Stetson (12-14, 9-7), 5 PM ET

No. 3 Liberty (18-10, 11-5) and No. 6 North Florida (15-17, 7-9), 7:30 PM ET

Friday | Semis

Winner No. 4/No. 5 vs. No. 1 FGCU (26-4, 14-2), 5 PM ET

Winner No. 3/No. 6 vs. No. 2 Kennesaw State (20-8, 13-3), 7:30 PM ET

Saturday | Championship (5 PM ET)


CAA 

LIVE ON FLOVOLLEYBALL

Location: Hempstead, New York (Hofstra)

Six-team tournament: First-round byes for No. 1 Towson and No. 2 James Madison

Friday | Quarters

No. 4 Northeastern (15-13, 9-7) vs. No. 5 Elon (13-17, 7-9), 4 PM ET

No. 3 Hofstra (17-11, 10-6) vs. No. 6 Delaware (14-13, 6-10), 7 PM ET

Saturday | Semis

No. 1 Towson (26-2, 16-0) vs. Winner No. 4/No. 5, 2 PM ET

No. 2 James Madison (19-7, 13-3) vs. Winner No. 3/No. 6, 5 PM ET

Sunday | Championship (2 PM ET)


CONFERENCE USA

Location: Houston, Texas (Rice) 

Eight-team tournament

Friday | Quarters

No. 1 WKU (28-1, 14-0) vs. No. 8 Middle Tennessee (13016, 6-8), 1 PM ET

No. 4 Marshall (18-9, 9-5) vs. No. 5 Florida Atlantic (15-10, 9-5), 3 PM ET

No. 2 Rice (24-2, 13-1) vs. No. 7 UTEP (13-14, 6-8), 6 PM ET

No. 3 North Texas (16-10, 10-4) vs. No. 6 UTSA (15-12, 8-6), 8 PM ET

Saturday | Semis

Winner No. 1/No. 8 vs. Winner No. 4/No. 5, 1 PM ET (ESPN+)

Winner No. 2/No. 7 vs. Winner No. 3/No. 6, 3:30 PM ET (ESPN+)

Sunday | Championship (1 PM ET)


HORIZON

Location: Dayton, Ohio (Wright State)

Six-team tournament: First-round byes for No. 1 Wright State and No. 2 Milwaukee. 

Friday | Quarters

No. 3 Green Bay (20-8, 12-4) vs. No. 6 Oakland (15-13, 8-8), 3 PM ET

No. 4 Northern Kentucky (16-12, 9-7) vs. No. 5 UIC (20-10, 9-7), 6 PM ET

Saturday | Semis

No. 1 Wright State (24-4, 13-3) vs. lowest remaining seed, 3 PM ET

No. 2 Milwaukee (25-5, 12-4) vs. highest remaining seed, 6 PM ET

Sunday | Championship (2 PM ET)


MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Location: Washington D.C. (Howard)

Eight-team tournament, featuring the top four teams from each of the conference’s two divisions

Friday | Quarters

South No. 2 North Carolina Central (8-23, 7-7) vs. North No. 3 Coppin State (12-17, 8-7), 11 AM ET

North No. 1 Howard (17-12, 14-1) vs. South No. 4 South Carolina State (0-28, 0-14), 2 PM ET

South No. 1 North Carolina A&T State (15-13, 13-1) vs. North No. 4 Maryland Eastern Shore (12-18, 7-8), 5 PM ET

North No. 2 Morgan State (16-12, 10-5) vs. South No. 3 Bethune-Cookman (8-23, 5-9), 8 PM ET

Saturday | Semis

Winner South No. 2/North No. 3 vs. Winner North No. 1/South No. 4, 5 PM ET

Winner South No. 1/North No. 4 vs. Winner North No. 2/South No. 3, 8 PM ET

Sunday | Championship (8 PM ET)



OHIO VALLEY

Location: Jacksonville, Alabama (Jacksonville State) 

Eight-team tournament

Thursday | Quarterfinals

No. 3 Murray State (18-10, 12-4) vs. No. 6 UT Martin (13-18, 9-7), 11 AM ET

No. 2 Southeast Missouri (20-10, 12-4) vs. No. 7 Tennessee Tech (13-16, 9-7), 1:30 PM ET

No. 4 Morehead State (21-8, 12-4) vs. No. 5 Austin Peay (11-19, 9-7), 4:30 PM ET

No. 1 Jacksonville State (19-9, 13-3) vs. No. 8 SIUE (14-14, 9-7), 7 PM ET

Friday | Semis

Winner No. 3/No. 6 vs. Winner No. 2/No. 7, 4:30 PM ET

Winner No. 4/No. 5 vs. Winner No. 1/No. 8, 7 PM ET

Saturday | Championship (7 PM ET)


SOUTHERN CONFERENCE

Location: Spartanburg, South Carolina (Wofford)

Nine-team tournament: One play-in match between the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds

Tuesday | Play-in 

No. 8 Citadel def. No. 9 Chattanooga, 3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-15)

Friday | Quarters

No. 4 Wofford (15-15, 8-8) vs. No. 5 Furman (7-20, 7-9), 11 AM ET

No. 1 Samford (21-5, 15-1) vs. No. 8 Citadel (11-19, 4-12), 1:30 PM ET

No. 2 ETSU (23-5, 14-2) vs. No. 7 UNCG (11-19, 5-11), 4:30 PM ET

No. 3 Western Carolina (17-12, 11-5) vs. No. 6 Mercer (13-16, 6-10), 7 PM ET

Saturday | Semis

Winner No. 4/No. 5 vs. Winner No. 1/No. 8, 2 PM ET

Winner No. 2/No. 7 vs. Winner No. 3/No. 6, 4:30 PM ET

Sunday | Championship (2 PM ET)


SOUTHLAND

Location: Conway, Arkansas (Central Arkansas)

Eight-team tournament

Friday | Quarters

No. 2 Sam Houston State (16-12, 12-4) vs. No. 7 Southeastern Louisiana (14-16, 8-8), 12 PM ET

No. 3 Northwestern State (19-11, 11-5) vs. No. 6 Houston Baptist (17-14, 9-7), 2:30 PM ET

No. 1 Stephen F. Austin (28-1, 16-0) vs. No. 8 New Orleans (13-17, 6-10), 5 PM ET

No. 4 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (18-11, 11-5) vs. No. 5 Central Arkansas (16-13, 10-6), 7:30 PM ET

Saturday | Semis

Winner No. 2/No. 7 vs. Winner No. 3/No. 6, 1 PM ET

Winner No. 1/No. 8 vs. Winner No. 4/No. 5, 3:30 PM ET

Sunday | Championship (4:05 PM ET)


SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Location: Bena, Mississippi (Mississippi Valley State)

Eight-team tournament

Friday | Quarters

No. 1 Alabama A&M vs. No. 8 Grambling State, 12 PM ET

No. 4 Southern vs. No. 5 Alabama State, 2:30 PM ET

No. 3 Jackson State vs. No. 6 Texas Southern, 5 PM ET

No. 2 Prairie View A&M vs. No. 7 Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 7:30 PM ET

Saturday | Semis

Winner No. 1/No. 8 vs. Winner No. 4/No. 5, 3 PM ET

Winner No. 3/No. 6 vs. Winner No. 2/No. 7, 5 PM ET

Sunday | Championship (4 PM ET)


SUMMIT 

Location: Denver, Colorado (Denver)

Six-team tournament: First-round byes for No. 1 South Dakota and No. 2 Denver

Friday | Quarters

No. 4 Omaha (17-13, 10-6) vs. No. 5 North Dakota State (13-15, 8-8), 5 PM ET

No. 3 Purdue Fort Wayne (17-13, 11-5) vs. No. 6 Oral Roberts (8-22, 4-12), 8 PM ET

Saturday | Semis

No. 1 South Dakota (27-1, 16-0) vs. Winner No. 4/No. 5, 5 PM ET

No. 2 Denver (21-7, 13-3) vs. Winner No. 3/No. 6, 8 PM ET

Sunday | Championship (4 PM ET)


SUN BELT

Location: San Marcos, Texas (Texas State)

Eight-team tournament: Byes into the semifinals for No. 1 Texas State and No. 2 Coastal Carolina; byes into the quarters for No. 4 Troy and No. 3 South Alabama

Thursday | First Round/Play-in

No. 8 Arkansas State (16-12, 7-9) vs. No. 5 Louisiana (14-15, 10-6), 6 PM ET

No. 7 UTA (16-12, 8-8) vs. No. 6 Appalachian State (13-16, 9-7), 8:30 PM ET

Friday | Quarters

No. 4 Troy (21-8, 10-6) vs. Winner No. 8/No. 5, 6 PM ET

No. 3 South Alabama (20-10, 11-5) vs. Winner No. 7/No. 6, 8:30 PM ET

Saturday | Semis

No. 1 Texas State (22-8, 14-2) vs. Semi #1 Winner, 3:30 PM ET

No. 2 Coastal Carolina (23-5, 13-3) vs. Semi #2 Winner, 6 PM ET

Sunday | Championship (2 PM CT)


WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Location: Orem, Utah (Utah Valley)

Six-team tournament: First-round byes for No. 1 seed New Mexico State and No. 2 Grand Canyon

Thursday | Quarters

No. 3 Kansas City (16-10, 12-4) vs. No. 6 Seattle (13-17, 4-2), 5:30 PM ET

No. 5 Utah Valley (10-18, 7-9) vs. No. 4 UT Rio Grande Valley (14-16, 8-8), 8 PM ET

Friday | Semis

No. 2 seed Grand Canyon (23-5, 13-3) vs. Winner No. 3/No. 6, 5:30 PM ET

No. 1 seed New Mexico State (25-3, 16-0) vs. Winner No. 4/No. 5, 8 PM ET

Saturday | Championship (9 PM ET)